Katie Day

Background

About Katie Day

I’m a neuroscientist interested in how reward and social circuits support caregiving, attachment, and early-life interactions between mothers and infants. My research asks why caregiving is motivating, and how changes in these systems may contribute to perinatal mental health challenges.My doctoral research examined how the oxytocin system shapes newborn behavior and early-life stress. As a postdoctoral researcher, I now study dopamine signaling in reward circuitry during the development of maternal behavior. My broader interests include postpartum depression (PPD), dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D-MER), birth modality, kangaroo care, and lactation.Before focusing on rodent models, I worked in animal care and education settings across a range of species, including large mammals, birds, and big cats, and later in cognitive and communication research in bottlenose dolphins. These experiences shape how I approach animal research today, with an emphasis on empathy, ethical responsibility, and careful attention to the animals behind the data. I deeply value thoughtful mentorship, collaboration, and curiosity-driven science.